Late nights happen—work calls, the baby cries, you foolishly put on “just one more” episode of Stranger Things—and you awake feeling out of whack.
We feel your pain. Poor sleep, or not enough sleep, means your brain will move slower and your temper will flare up faster. Your productivity goes down, and your junk food cravings go up. But the day doesn’t have to be a total wash. We called some sleep experts and asked how you can overcome the effects of a bad night’s sleep. Here’s your hour-by-hour survival guide.
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1
7:00 A.M.
Peter Arkle
Spend a few minutes quietly watching your thoughts go by, says Jason Ong, Ph.D., a sleep psychologist and mindfulness expert at Northwestern University. Selfawareness will help you cope with the day’s challenges.
Achy back? Poor sleep may disrupt pain regulation systems in your brain. Do some stretching, Dr. Winter says. Sit on the floor, extend one leg, and reach for your toes, keeping your back straight. Switch legs and repeat. (Or try one of these stretches when you are crunched for time.)
Have some eggs with hot sauce. Protein plus spice is a recipe for alertness, says Dr. Winter. Your body converts protein’s amino acids into brain food, while spicy foods interrupt sleep signals.
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5
9:05 A.M.
Peter Arkle
Choose your three most important tasks for today and backburner the rest. Help your company out: U.S. employers sustain up to $411 billion a year in losses due to sleepy workers’ low productivity, the Rand Corporation reports.
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6
10:00 A.M.
Peter Arkle
Scott from corporate sends you a typo-filled report. Of course he did! Take deep breaths, says Aric Prather, Ph.D., a sleep researcher at UC San Francisco. Sleep deprivation impairs your ability to handle frustrating situations.
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7
NOON
Peter Arkle
Use your lunch break to do something you actually enjoy—you’ll feel more energized, studies suggest. Cardio in particular can boost alertness, says Dr. Winter, and heading outdoors to get a dose of sunlight also helps.
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8
3:00 P.M.
Peter Arkle
Craving sugar? In a study published in Sleep Health, people who logged five hours of sleep or less drank 21 percent more soda than those who slept seven to eight hours. Snack on fresh fruit or a piece of dark chocolate instead.
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9
4:00 P.M.
Peter Arkle
Stash coffee beans in your drawer. Take a whiff: The smell can boost alertness, says Wendy Troxel, Ph.D., a behavioral scientist with Rand. And it won’t disrupt that night’s sleep the way an afternoon cup of coffee might.
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10
7:00 P.M.
Peter Arkle
Your spouse wants to see the in-laws on Sunday. Tell them you’d rather decide later. When you sleep poorly, you’re less empathetic, more conflict-prone, and less effective at problem solving, Troxel’s research suggests.
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11
9:00 P.M.
Peter Arkle
Disconnect. No more phone or computer and their rousing light. If you absolutely must use your computer, use a screen filter or install f.lux, a free program that alters the light quality of your screen so it’s less stimulating.
Hungry? You might just be tired. But if you’re sure it’s true hunger, have a bowl of oatmeal, walnuts, and dried tart cherries. All three can boost your serotonin and/or melatonin levels and help you sleep, says Dr. Winter.
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13
11:00 P.M.
Peter Arkle
Go to bed only when you feel sleepy, says Ong. To increase your odds of restful slumber, make sure the bedroom is dark and cool, and read a book if you want (just be sure it’s the printed kind). You made it. Goodnight!